I've worked with many fashion photographers over the years and overall, I'm impressed with the level of talent based in Minneapolis. It's hard to find the right amount of creativy and envelope-pushing in any market, but we've got a healthy amount right here, in our frigid little sliver of the Midwest.

So I thought I'd take a minute to show-off the work of some of my favorite established local fashion photographers — those who've been shooting fashion for many years. These are all people I've worked with except one, and this list is by no means exhausive. I was simply struck by their ingenuity and professionalism. Were I an aspiring fashion photographer, I'd probably want to assist one of these guys.

Joel Larson

I worked with Joel last summer on a Minnesota Bride shoot — this one, to be exact. He's a real pro, always going above and beyond what you'd expect. And his post-production work (meaning, the work that he does on the photos after they're taken) is top-notch. I'm excited to work with him again.

Bill Tyler

Bill also shot a few stories for Minnesota Bride. I love working with him. He's got a great eye, and he's fun to be around. We're shooting a story for Wisconsin Bride in Milwaukee, where he's based, this April. Can't wait!

Buck Holzemer

Buck is an old standby for the Bride mags. My art director and I always know we can count on him to produce beautiful stories, and no concept is too challenging. This is partly because Buck does composite photography, meaning he can shoot models in-studio, then compose them onto a dramatic background, like the eerie cemetary shoreline above.

Lena Lakoma

I hired Lena to shoot a spring fashion story in METRO magazine last year. She's incredibly creative. Our concept was ambitious (twisted, gravity-defying perspectives), but she never backed down and turned around highly professional work.

Michael Haug

Michael shot the bridal fashion story pictured above. It's one of my favorites of all the fashion shoots we've ever done. Something about that day just made everything click. Pretty sure that something was Michael.

Miles Schuster

Miles is one of the most versatile photographers in the Twin Cities. Just look at his body of work — in studio, on location, desaturated, vivid, full of action, stationery. Miles is clearly playing around with his talent and it's paying off.

William Clark

William has shot for both METRO the Bride magazines. He consistently good and always thinks outside the box. I'm pretty sure he's also one of those quietly mega-intelligent guys; there's something about the composition of his shots that reveals a real thinker.

John Wallace

I haven't yet had the opportunity to work with John, but I know he's been around for a while, and his book is impressive.

I'm working on an entry about up-and-coming local photographers too, which I'll post soon.